Coupling means for implements having detachable power units



0a. 13, 1959 E. w. KOLLS ETAL 2,908,153

COUPLING MEANS FOR IMPLEMENTS HAVING 'DETACHABLE POWER UNITS Filed March 24, 1 958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mm M [Hi-Inn HUII i 4.1 nvenrows frnesl' W K0115; Joseph E. Seamlmtd W? 5 b zggum @222 A 22F fll'l'oru y Oct. 13, 1959,

E. W. KOLLS ET'AL V COUPLING MEANS FOR IMPLEMENTS HAVING DETACHABLE POWER UNITS Filed MarQh 24, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 M 23 aa I i I ,Jnvmrars rnesi'wlllsf Joseph fiscmfl and g qttam g United Statesv Pater-tr o ice 2,908,153 7 Patented Oct. 13,

have used the numeral-12': to generally. designate :an inlternalcombustion engine. This unit 'haskhandle gbarsvlfi. "Thermumeral .15.- designates the motors' v rotating 1 drive 'shafts lt istoysuch units that @weinstall our coupling QQQUFLINGQlVIEANSaEOR lR IPLEMENTS HAVING 5- am whichwe will' now describe? in detail.

= D TACHABL J W RUNI 'nmeh'wmous zindfiseph'Eugene'scanland,

Des Moines, Iowa rdownwardly 'bcyond the horizontal plane of the-flange tion motor attachable to a lawn mower, a cultivatona t'sliowwriemqveryiand like. hechiefiproblem, however, ?;-h as rbeen the jconnecting of {the power shaft of the motor :1 thelparts;of:-the implementto beactuated. The method l;sual1y' efnployed risxrby useofs'an endless belt. 'The -9bjection toistichamoririection is that-.the -belt isidifiicult tto'rplecew :around rtheiobscurebelt wheels and, even after ther-belt-ihas been positioned, the: twozunits must-be-mo'ved ;'1 '18 iYe'tO' eaGhJOlih6l orderr to: tighten' theabelt: After :;t -he belt hastbeen soitigh'tened; 'the'rtwoeunitsflmust be Gigidlwsecured:together. at that position. r 'While 'theuse.

tof aone #motor foriacplur-alit-yt-of implementsaistliighly deasi'mble, :obviously -the changing, ofathemotor .from one implementto anotheri iscmost; difficult and :complicated.

Therefore, the principal object of our invention is to fintotheyertical motorishaft 15 we-secure-aEliorizontal 'metallicz. plate :16 by 'use: of a i cap. screw bolt '17. The plate has a wall 18 embracing the lower end portiona'of :the shaft 15; i *Theibolt 17 extends: upwardly'throughlthe circularsplate zlfiand zis'xthreaded into the 'end' area=- of -:the motor: shaft. The-plate may also be eitherzke'yed. or

weldedfito" the. shaft; toueliminate independent r tation.

" The rnumeralstl9gt2tlrand' 21 :designate-three' evenly spaced aapart :downwardly' extending J: lugs? on. the. bottom.- of 'the plate. These three l ugs form aitriangleiaround :the a bolt stud 17, as shown in Fig. 4. These lugs taper: inedi'am- Iete'r. asf they "extend downwardly, asshown". in Fig. 2.

gllooselysembra'cing the plate is the'rnotorskirti22. The

:numeral 23,:designates a circular :horizontal flangetonthe bQttOlIlfOffthClrSkiTt' 22., :The, l'ugs 1:9; 20 andfl extend 'ca1ly;positioned2holes;24;and 25, as shown in-Fig. 4. The

flange also'5has':bolta'hblt uslotsi26. This ass'emblycompletes t the: motoriunit. I 5 On .theupper end of: the I driven :shaft-:11-'.of--thez'implement, we secure aLcupi-27m This cup-has an enlargedhole-in'its,center. In'the'cupds-a resilient "plate 28; of :rubbe'rjor like, having I a; central well .29 :having a Freduced diameteratdtstlower endtoprov-ide .ags'houltler. Theznilmeralziifl; designates a rwasherthaving ,.a- :topp-fiange ie'ngaging:thev rshoulder ins the Well 29 and zhavingyits bottom engaging the insidez'bottom of (the; cup. The numeral 931 designates a-r'cap screWE-boltccitteriding :dGWnW-fiEdWPthmuglithe wash'er305and threaded into-the upper- :end .ofu-the implement-adriven shaft. 1 The: cup 27 1 is alsoi -keyed toi'tlie-asliaft e11. *Thus, the resilientt plate providea'2 =s'impl=, etfhtive coupling means-for use with' a plurality ofimplements .usingin commona single power plant. "iii A ,furtheri-objectofthis invention istto provide a relsilibnig :sil'ent' direct. coupling. betWeedtth moto'if. and

iplement upon which it, is. used...

1 A still-zfiirtherohjectofthis invention is to"- provid a coupling means that permits the direct lowering of the power unit onto the implement to make contact, thereby eliminating relative horizontal slidingof the units to eflect successful connection.

Still further objects of our invention are to provide:

a coupler for power and implement units that is economical in manufacture and durable in use.

These and other objects will be apparent to Skilled in the art.

Our invention consists in the construction, arrangements, and combination, of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, specifically pointed out in our claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: a

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of equipment using our rapid coupling means;

Fig. 2 is a slide exploded view, illustrating the separation or connecting of the units using. our coupler means; Fig. 3 is an. enlarged vertical sectional view of our coupler taken on line 33 of Fig. l, and more fully illustrates its construction; 7

Fig. 4 is an enlarged bottom view of that part of our coupler that is secured to the motor unit; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged top view of that part of our coupler that is secured to the implement unit.

In these drawings, we have used the numeral 10 to generally designate a wheeled implement, such as a lawn mowing machine, with a blade driving shaft 11. We

those ;ont0.:;thetupperiend I of 1: the;l shaft .11 'by the' 1 cap screW :bolt 31,." ---The resilient pad platefZS: is prevented from vi-ndependentrotation in the'ccup zlfibyxthreetupwardly Le endingvspacediiapar-t'i'lugs' 321onwthe inside :ho'ttomt-Qf gthe Cum- 217: and whichepenetr'aterint o -.wells-'iri the bottom of the resilient member 28, as shown in Fig. 3. Inithe top of the resilient plate 28 are three downwardly extending evenly spaced apart wells 33, 34 and 35. These three wells decrease in diameter as they extend down Wardly and form a triangle around the cap screw bolt 31. This triangle is the same as the triangle formed by the lugs 19, 20 and 21. The tapering wells 33, 34 and 35 are adapted to receive the tapered lugs 19, 20 and 21. The numeral 36 designates the housing of the implement having a cup portion 37 loosely embracing the cup member 27, as shown in Fig. 3. The top horizontal plane of the housing cup is substantially that of the top horizontal plane of the cup 27. The numeral 38 designates a bearing means around the shaft 11 and securedto the bottom of the housing cup 37. The numerals. 3'9 and 40 designate two diametrically positioned upwardly ex- I tended pointed spike posts on the housing 36 and adapted tov enter the holes 24 and 25, respectively, of the skirt flange 23. The numeral 41 designates holes in the housing 36. The numeral 42 designates bolt'rneans for extending through holes 26 and 41 for rigidly bolting the power unit and implement together. T o selectively attach our motor unit to an implement, it is merely necessary to set the same downwardly onto the implement with the centering and guiding prongs 39 and 40' passing through the holes 24 and 25, respectively. If the lugs 19, 20, and 21 do not synchronize with and enter the receiving wells 33, 34 and 35, the motor is rotated slightly to bring the lugs in alignment with the-wells. By tapering both the lugs and wells, not only will the entrance coupling.

of the lugs into the wells be guided and facilitated, but

a progressively tight fit will result. There will be, no

loose play between the plate 16 and resilient plate 28.

The bolts 42 are then used to secure'the flange23tothe housing 36; To remove our motor unit for'placement -"on another implement, the bolt means 42' are removed and the motor unit merely lifted upwardlyfto clear the implement to which it has been attached. The bolt T means 42' draw the motor unit toward the implement,

thus forcing the lugs into the wells and tightening 'the Some changes may be made in the construction and ing detachable power units without departing tfrom the ,real spirit and purpose of our invention, and it is our inltention' to cover by our claims, any modified forms of structureor use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope; Y;

' We claim:

1. In combination, a motor unit having'a drive shaft '1 arrangement of our coupling means for implements hav- 1 and a housing, an implement having a driven shaft and a housing, and a coupling means, comprising,-a plate on said drive shaft, a plurality of lugs on said plate, a supporting member on said driven shaft, a resilient'member secured on .said supporting member having a comple- -mentary plurality of wells for detachably receiving said plurality of lugs, a means for rigidly connecting the hous ing of said motor unit to the housing of said implement;

said motor unit housing having at least two guid'e holes and a complementary number of guiding and centering prongs on the housing of said implement adapted to extend into the guide holes of the housing of said motor unit.

2. In combination, a motor unit having a drive shaft and a housing, an implement having a driven shaft and a housing, and a coupling means, comprising, a plate 'on :said drive shaft, a plurality of lugs on .said plate,'a sup porting member on said driven shaft, 'a resilient member secured on said supporting member having a comple mentary plurality of wells for detachably receiving said plurality of lugs, a means for rigidly connecting the hous-' ing of said motor unit to the housing of said implement;

said motor unit housing having at least two guide holes member having a complementary plurality of wells de-. tachably embracing said plurality of lugs; said lugs decreasing in diameter as they extend into said wells, and said wells increasing in diameter as they extend toward said lugs. 3

' 4. In acouplingmeans having a drive shaft and a driven shaft, a plate on said drive shaft,a plurality of evenly spaced apart lugs on said plate forming acontinuous row,

a cup member onsaid driven shaft having an inside diameter greater than that of the outside diameter'of said .plate, a resilient plate member secured in said cup mem her having a" complementary plurality of wells detachably embracing said, plurality of lugs, and lugs on-the'inside bottom of said cup member extending into said resilient plate member for preventing independent rotation'of said resilient plate member relative to said cup member; said lugs decreasing in diameter as they extend into said wells, and said wells increasing in diameter as they extend toward said lugs.

i 5. In combination, a motor unit having a drive-shaftand a housing, an implement having a driven Shaft and a-housing,-and a coupling means, comprising, a plate on said drive shaft, a plurality of lugs on said plate, asupporting cup member on said driven shaft having an inside diameter greater than that of the outside diameter of said plate, a resilient member secured in said supporting and a complementary number of guiding and centering fpointed prongs on the housing of said implement adapted to extend into the guide holes of the housing "of said motor unit. a a a '.member having a complementary plurality of wellsfor detachably receiving said plurality of lugs; said lugs tapering in diameter as they extend into said wells and said wells'inereasing in diameter as they extend toward saidlugs, and a means for rigidly connecting the housing of said motor unit to the housing of said implement;

2: References Cited in the iile of this patenti I i UNITED STATES PATENTS I N'owosielski 'Apr. "18, 1933 2,096,597 Seabrooks Oct. 19, 1937 2,306,647 Smith Dec. 29, 1942 

